Breaking Ground on New Commercial Building

El Monte Councilmember’s Bart Patel, Juventino “J” Gomez and Victoria Martinez, along with city staff and Matthew Sawyer from Art Weiss Industrial Properties, break ground on a new commercial building at 12346 Valley Blvd. The project is expected to serve as a catalyst for future development in the area.

The City of El Monte held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, August 13 for a new commercial office building that is expected to serve as a catalyst for future development in the area.

“This location has been a diamond in the rough for a while and with a lot of hard work from city staff and the developer, it is now a bright spot for our community,” said Councilman Juventino “J” Gomez. “We look forward to more projects like this one that boosts our city’s economic future.”

Slated to be built on a 1.29-acre plot of land at 12346 Valley Blvd. that once housed two buildings and a nonconforming billboard, the commercial building will be built by Art Weiss Industrial Properties on the south side of Valley Boulevard, east of Durfee Avenue.

“This project raises the bar for future developments in the area and will help people see the value in investing in El Monte,” said Councilwoman Victoria Martinez.

The 27,280-square-foot building will consist of eight units ranging in size from 3,100 square feet to 3,800 square feet. Each unit will contain office space on the mezzanine level and flexible floor space on the ground level that can be utilized for additional office, retail/wholesale commercial, showroom and storage space. A sign of an improved economy, all eight units were sold before construction even started.

“I’m really impressed that the developer has already sold the units, as the tenants will have a vested interest in the welfare of our city,” said Councilman Bart Patel. “This groundbreaking ceremony is an exciting event as we reflect on the divergence of creativity and hard work by both Art Weiss Industrial Properties and city staff.”

The project design demonstrates compliance with the principles of the Community Design Element of the General Plan, including eliminating blight and neighborhood deterioration by turning a vacant and underutilized portion of land into a productive commercial use and facilitating the development of a strong commercial element within the City. The project will bring a five-fold increase in property taxes to the City and reflect 50 to 75 new jobs in El Monte.